


On the Night of the King's Birthday

by EHyde



Category: Akatsuki no Yona | Yona of the Dawn
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-19
Updated: 2016-02-19
Packaged: 2018-05-21 22:44:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6060897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EHyde/pseuds/EHyde
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Soo-won sneaks out of his 19th birthday party at Hiryuu Castle to celebrate in town. Meanwhile, as a guest at the party, Lili wonders about what Yona left behind when she fled the castle.</p><p>(each story stands alone, but they're companion pieces, so I've posted them as one work)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Soo-won

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sorasan0000](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sorasan0000/gifts).



> The first story was written for a prompt on tumblr from sorasan00, who said "Suwon b-day prompt: Suwon sneaks out of his birthday celebration at his residence (or castle if you want to do current day) to have a party in the slums." The second story was developed separately. Written when 118 and 119 were the most recent chapters, respectively.

Soo-won returned to Hiryuu Castle a mere two days before he turned nineteen, and his birthday was the last thing on his mind—actually, he’d almost forgotten it was that time. But his absence hadn’t stopped Keishuk and the palace staff from planning a night of celebration. Apparently, some courtiers had suggested they forego the party entirely—given how the last royal birthday had played out—but the opposing view had won. This, Soo-won felt, was the right decision. The absence of a celebration would draw attention back to the past, but this was a new era.

And this royal birthday celebration was entirely different from the last one. Most notably, guests had come from all five of Kouka’s tribes, not just the Sky Tribe, and the attitude between the lords and ladies of different tribes was friendly and open. General Joon-gi had even brought his daughter—well, the reason for _that_ was obvious to everyone in attendance. Much to Soo-won’s relief, Lili seemed as eager to avoid that subject as he was himself, and kept to herself, disappearing completely before the party was halfway over. And Soo-won, to his own surprise, found himself wishing he could do the same. Perhaps it was because he’d barely had time to adjust back to palace life after traveling, but he found the formality of the celebration stifling. Yes, an event like this was good for the kingdom, but if he was to work for the strength of Kouka, he’d prefer to be taking more direct action, and if he was simply to celebrate his birthday, he’d rather …

… well, it wasn’t as if he _couldn’t_ leave.

It had been far too long since he’d spent any time in the city as “Won,” not as part of any secret mission, but just for its own sake. It would have to be a brief excursion—Ju-doh was sure to track him down soon no matter where he went, and there was no point in trying to go anywhere unexpected. If he had just one night like this, he’d spend it with friends … if “friends” was the correct word to use.

Years ago, Soo-won had told Hak that Ogi and his group were all good people. That had been quite the lie of omission … but at the same time, it was true. Soo-won knew that organized crime was unavoidable in a city the size of Kuuto, even without the inattentive government of King Il. And he also knew that Ogi and his crew had a vested interest in keeping men like Hiyou or Yang Kum-ji from gaining any sort of foothold in their territory. As long as that remained true, Soo-won would let them be—and “Won” would, when he had the opportunity, join them for a round of drinks and games.

The inn where they gathered was more crowded than usual—the king’s birthday was a national holiday, after all. “Won! Long time no see!” an old man called out. “What brings you here tonight?”

“What brings _you_ here?” Soo-won asked in return. “I had the night off and felt like a drink.”

There were new faces in the crowd—it had been several months since his last visit, after all—but plenty of familiar ones as well. Ogi himself was sitting in the back of the room, playing at shougi, the only game Soo-won had ever seen him play. He had a reputation as a gambler, but he never put any money down on games of pure luck. “Hey,” Ogi addressed the crowd. “Don’t gamble with this kid. Not unless it’s dice or coin-tossing. Otherwise you’ll lose.”

“Come on, Mr. Ogi, you’ll ruin my fun!” Soo-won protested, not without a smile.

“That’s what you get for staying away so long.”

Of course, several of the newcomers took Ogi’s words as a challenge—as the old man must have known they would—and Soo-won picked up a few easy victories, which he turned back into a round of drinks for the whole inn. After that, Soo-won consented to a game of chance with Dae-sung, one of the old men he’d known for years. He already had the good will of the crowd, but losing back a bit of what he’d won wouldn’t hurt matters. Except he found himself consistently winning here, too. “Looks like the heavens favor you tonight,” said Dae-sung, as all five coins landed face-up for the second time in a row.

Soo-won frowned, gathering up the coins and tossing them a few more times. Heads, every one of them, each toss. “They’re weighted coins, you old cheat!” he said. “Old man, you’re too drunk even to cheat properly.” That earned a laugh—and earned Dae-sung no ill-will; “Won” was a relative outsider, after all, and fair game. But Dae-sung just frowned at the coins, puzzled, as he took them back.

Still, that was enough gambling for the night. Soo-won paid for another glass of wine, sitting back and watching the crowd around him as he drank. “Hey, kid!” Ogi called from across the room. Soo-won smiled to himself—being addressed so casually was itself a pleasant change of pace. “Play a game with me.”

“Boss, didn’t you say—” one of the other men began.

“Eh, Won’s the only one here who can give me a game worth playing.”

“Hey!” That protest came from his previous opponent … and judging by the state of the board, Ogi might be right.

“We don’t have to play for money,” Soo-won began—they both knew who would win this game—but Ogi cut him off.

“Winning doesn’t mean much when there’s nothing on the line,” he said. He narrowed his eyes. “You know that.”

Soo-won nodded and sat down, and as they moved the pieces back to their starting positions, Ogi raised his glass. “Happy birthday, kid,” he said.

Soo-won paused. He hadn’t said—then he smiled. The old man wouldn’t be where he was today without a quick and observant mind, after all. He raised his glass in return. “Let’s play.”


	2. Lili

For the Water Tribe’s general to come all the way to Kuuto to attend the king’s birthday celebration was a big deal. Going to war at Soo-won’s side was one thing, but that had as much to do with his own tribe as with Kouka as a whole. No one could make that argument about a social function. Joon-gi had never come to Kuuto while Il was on the throne, but Soo-won had done far more for the Water Tribe than Il ever had, and now the general was ready to publicly show his support.

That was all well and good, but it had nothing to do with Lili. She was supposed to be in exile, not welcomed home and brought to parties! If her father meant this as a punishment, that would be one thing—Lili had gotten herself and Yona, her tribe, her whole _kingdom_ into big trouble; she wouldn’t deny she deserved it. But he was treating her like nothing she’d done mattered. And now, pulled away from Yona and everyone else who needed her help, she _couldn’t_ do anything that made a difference.

She’d come here only under protest, and vowed to herself that no matter what sorts of food and entertainment were offered, she wouldn’t enjoy it one bit. Standing aloof at the side of the great hall, it wasn’t hard to keep that promise.

“You’re not having fun.”

“You don’t need to be so blunt.” But Ayura was right. Even without that vow, there was no way Lili could enjoy herself at a party like this. None of the other lords and ladies here knew her, knew the things she’d seen, the things she’d done. She felt like she was being pressed in from all sides by a different sort of prison, one much harder to escape. “Why would Father bring me to something frivolous like this, when there’s still work to be done back home?”

Tetora chuckled. “Lord Joon-gi brought you here because he’s concerned for the future of our tribe, you know,” she said.

“… what’s that supposed to mean?” Lili asked, narrowing her eyes. “To be dragged back here, completely useless, while Yona is still—” she broke off, looking down. “Here” was Hiryuu Castle, after all, where Yona could never return even if she wanted to. _Would it feel like a punishment to her, being pulled away from the work she’s doing?_ Or would Yona, instead, be grateful for the chance to see the home that had been taken from her one more time? But instead, I’m the one who’s here. Lili glanced back at the entrance to the hall. There weren’t many people over at that end; if she left for only a little while, she’d hardly be missed. 

“Your father won’t like it if you run away tonight.” Lili looked back to find Ayura following her gaze. That woman was far too observant! But then … what she wanted to do … maybe it would be better not to do it alone.

“Ayura, Tetora,” Lili began. “I want to do something for Yona. I’ll need your help.”

Outside of the glittering hall, the sky was already dark—it was still winter, after all. By the lamplight, the palace felt cold and gray, without any hint of the bright red that shone under the cool, clear sun when they had arrived. _It really was the same red as Yona’s hair._ But she was gone. “Do you know where we’re going?” Lili asked. She’d never been to Hiryuu Castle before, but Ayura and Tetora acted like they knew the place.

“We’ve been here before,” said Ayura.

“Yeah, for a martial arts tournament,” said Lili. That didn’t explain why they’d know right where Yona’s chambers were.

“Do you think your father would’ve sent us all the way here just for that?” Ayura asked.

“After all,” said Tetora, “everyone else was distracted by all those handsome young men fighting, so who’d pay attention to us?”

“Uh …” Had Ayura just admitted that her father had sent them to spy on Hiryuu Castle years ago? Well … that had been back when Il was king, when Joon-gi didn’t know where he stood … and actually, that would be just like him, wanting to know everything before taking any sort of action. Lili paused. Maybe her father’s inaction had never been as passive as Lili thought.

“As I recall,” said Ayura to Tetora, “you found those handsome young men fighting to be quite distracting yourself.”

“Who wouldn’t?” Tetora asked with a laugh.

Ayura rolled her eyes, barely noticeable in the dim lighting. “This way, Lady Lili,” she said, rounding a corner.

Lili would have been surprised if there were no guards at all, but the few they saw paid them no heed. Three well-dressed ladies were obviously noble guests, not security threats, and for the first time, Lili found herself grateful that people couldn’t see the sort of person she really was. “It’s been almost a year,” Ayura warned, as they came to a stop outside an elegant doorframe. “There may not be anything here.”

The door wasn’t locked or barred. Taking a deep breath, Lili slid it open, then gasped. “There’s—” Aside from a thin coating of dust, the princess’s former chambers looked lived-in. All her belongings were here; there were even dresses and hair ornaments laid out on the bed, as if someone had been struggling to choose what to wear. “I don’t think this is the right room,” Lili said. Or someone else had moved in. This was the room of someone who still had a home here, wasn’t it?

“Oh my,” said Tetora. “He never touched it at all.” Ayura reached for a lamp on the wall, lighting it, and the dim glow spread across the room, illuminating the elegant satins and brocades, gems and precious metals. But cobwebs, too, glistened in the light, and Lili knew that this really was Yona’s room.

“I—” Her eyes flickered around the chamber, and she began to pace the area, stopping every so often to run her hands over the delicate silks. Yona didn’t wear dresses like these. Yona wore rough, weathered linen. She only owned a single outfit, and it had been torn up and repaired many times. “I thought I could bring her something. I thought, maybe, there was something precious to her, that she’d had to leave behind …” But none of these fine things had anything to do with the Yona she knew. _She didn’t just leave her belongings behind. She left her whole life. There’s nothing here that can bring that back._ “She won’t want any of this, will she?” Gently, Tetora shook her head.

“When I first met Yona,” Lili said, “I thought she was a wild country girl, and I thought she’d be so grateful for the chance to experience something nice.”

“You were a little insulted when it didn’t mean that much to her, weren’t you?” Tetora asked.

“I was not!” Lili hadn’t been insulted. Rather, she’d simply thought the other girl too ignorant to appreciate luxury … but there were things in this room far, far nicer than anything Lili had ever owned. “Do you think it was more like … she couldn’t _let_ it mean anything? Like … she couldn’t allow herself to miss this life.”

“She might want some of these just for the money,” said Ayura, picking up a few pieces of jewelry. Lili considered it. It was one thing not to live in luxury, but it was another thing to starve, or freeze in the winter, and Yona had a lot of people with her … but they were people who could all take care of each other.

“No,” said Lili. “She won’t.” Ayura just nodded. Lili glanced around the room one final time. _Was I hoping to find Yona here?_ Maybe if she had more time, she’d be able to find a hint of the Yona she knew. That strength couldn’t have come out of nowhere, after all. But to focus on the past, when Yona was out there fighting _right now_ — “Come on, Ayura, Tetora,” she said. “Let’s go back.” Yona was fighting, and Lili’s father had lifted her exile. _For me to think that she’s the lucky one, when I have a home to return to …_ Maybe she couldn’t protect her people in the same way that Yona did. Maybe, if she paid a little more attention to the things she could do with the life she had, she wouldn’t need to.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I'm [fallenwithstyle](http://fallenwithstyle.tumblr.com) if you'd like to come say hi.


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